Many people now have a personal life coach of some kind. This might be an interpersonal relationship coach, a spiritual life coach, or a holistic health coach. If you’re looking for a certified life coach, be sure to ask your prospective coach about their training, certifications, and experience.
According to a 2012 International Coaching Federation study, there are 15,800 life coaches in North America and approximately 47,500 across the globe.
If you are one of the 1/3 of adults in the United States that have received some type of complementary and alternative medicine, then choosing to work with a holistic health coach can provide you with additional and similar benefits.
If you’re looking for relationship help or spiritual guidance, many holistic health coaches will recommend processes to guide you in these areas. Prayer, meditation, keeping a gratitude journal, and other mindfulness practices may be recommended by your holistic health coach. These are all very powerful and effective tools that can empower you to have a positive outlook on life and experience health in body and mind.
Many people in the United States pray on a daily or weekly basis. Of those surveyed, 58% said that they pray a minimum of one time a day, and 75% said that they prayed a minimum of one time per week.
A study on meditation groups held in 2012 found that meditation helps with the symptoms of anxiety. In a review of 36 trials, 25 were found to have more symptom relief when compared to the control groups.
It is also interesting to note that approximately 18 million Americans practice meditation to alleviate stress, assist with sleep, and other issues, including self-awareness and insight.
Keeping a gratitude journal was also found to assist with sleep issues. In a 2011 study, which was published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, it was found that spending just 15 minutes writing about what you’re grateful for before bed can assist you with sleeping longer and deeper.
Other beneficial practices include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) funded a study on the effects of MBSR on 54 adults with chronic insomnia. In addition to MBSR, these participants also used a specific form of MBSR called Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBTI), and a self-monitoring program.
It was determined that both of these programs assisted with improving sleep; however, MBTI proved to reduce insomnia to a significantly higher degree.
Happiness is a feeling healthy people want to experience and sustain. In a recent survey, however, only 33% of Americans polled claimed to be happy.
Is experiencing more happiness one of the reasons why you want to work with a holistic health coach? If so, it is an important goal. Happy people tend to experience less stress and have a more positive outlook on life.
Another goal when working with a holistic health coach is the development of self-awareness. In a recent survey, 67.6% of life coaching clients reported that they attained this goal.
Learning how to create reasonable and attainable goals is another benefit of working with a life coach. In the same study, 62.4% of the clients surveyed reported that they attained this goal.
